New Delhi, Sept 26 (UNI) In a major relief for farmers affected by recent floods and landslides, union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has released the 21st instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, disbursing over Rs 540 crore to more than 27 lakh farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand via video conferencing.
According to officials, the three northern states have witnessed widespread crop damage and loss of livelihood due to heavy rains and natural calamities over the past few weeks.
The financial aid, provided under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, aims to provide immediate support as farmers prepare for the next sowing season. As part of the latest tranche, each eligible farmer received Rs 2,000 directly in their bank accounts, including nearly 2.7 lakh women beneficiaries, the officials said.
The union Minister assured farmers that the government “stands firmly with them in times of distress” and emphasized that this instalment is not just financial support, but a message of solidarity from the Centre.
“This assistance will help farmers meet urgent needs like household expenses, seeds, and fertilizers. More importantly, it restores their confidence to return to the fields,” said Chouhan during the virtual release.
Since the launch of the PM-KISAN scheme in February 2019, cumulative financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand has crossed Rs 13,600 crore. In the 21st instalment alone, over Rs 540 crore was disbursed to more than 27 lakh farmers across the three flood-affected states.
Punjab received Rs 221.98 crore for 11.09 lakh farmers, bringing its total assistance under the scheme to Rs 6,553 crore. Himachal Pradesh saw Rs 160.21 crore transferred to 8.01 lakh beneficiaries, taking its cumulative total to Rs3,631 crore.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand received Rs 157.83 crore for 7.89 lakh farmers, pushing its overall disbursement under PM-KISAN to Rs 3,442 crore, said the officials.
